Each year the Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated on 12 December. This year, OYO celebrated in Windhoek Informal Settlement with a performance from the OYO dance troupe, a speech by the WHO acting representative and various activities. The Walvis Bay Corridor Group was present to offer free HIV testing. Interviews were conducted with audiences to understand what they think about our health services in Namibia. Download PDF File Here

Thanks to support from UNAIDS, UNICEF and UNESCO, OYO could undertake various activities around the 2018 World AIDS Day. In the Khomas region, it had campaigns in Windhoek Informal Settlements. Both the OYO dance troupe and the Windhoek youth group performed, NAPPA clinic was present to offer free HIV testing, various activities were organised. In the Kunene region, a tour was organised and OYO celebrated the 01st of December in Opuwo, during a ceremony with Dr Thomas Shapumba, Chief Medical Officer, Ms Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF and His Workship the Mayor of Opuwo, Mr Albert Tjiuma.

How can we stop child marriage in Namibia? Get involved in the discussion with OYO. Let us know in particular what you think about the fact that 12% of the boys interviewed in the Kavango East and Zambesi regions believe it is right for parents to force their daughters (in other words their sisters) to marry? What can we do to change that? Thank you to CFLI for supporting this project. Download PDF File Here

After successful performances in the Netherlands, the OYO dance troupe is now back to Namibia. It is time for the troupe to give back to the community. The troupe will therefore embark on a series of performances in November and December in both Windhoek and the Kunene Region. ‘In Windhoek, we will bring performances to the informal settlements’, explains Dr Philippe Talavera, OYO’s director. ‘Not everybody can come to town to the national theatre for instance. Yet, performances should be for all. It is important for us to go to people. We will perform three of our repertoire pieces, ‘Thiasus’, ‘to take or not to take’ and ‘Betrayed’ in Havana, in front of U-Save, on 05 November, in Hakahana next to the open market on 06 November, in Havana at the soccer field on 07 November, at Otjomuise 8 de Laan (08 November) and Otjomuise 7 de Laan (09...

There was only 140 nominees in 27 categories out of over 3000 submissions at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2018 in Nigeria. ‘Salute’ was one of the nominees, as best movie Southern Africa. While it didn’t win (the prize went to Shemu Joyah from Malawi for his film ‘the road to sunshine’), it was an amazing opportunity as it was Namibian’s first and only nomination. Thanks to Multi-Choice for inviting OYO’s director Philippe Talavera to attend, thanks to Air Namibia for flying Philippe and actor Adriano Visagie in business class and thanks to the Namibia Film Commission for sponsoring the presence of actor Dawie Engelbrecht. The awards were an opportunity to share and network.

On Thursday, 23 August the OYO Dance Troupe premiered their latest dance piece, 'Oxósiss Betrayed' to a highly appreciative and awe struck audience at the Goethe institute at the Goethe Institute in Windhoek. The issues concerning poaching, especially Rhino, have long been a contentious issue in namibia and the region. The dance piece fuses many issues in to a recital that evokes strong emotions about poverty, relationships and conservation.

A huge thanks to our intern Louisa who raised Euro 1,000.00 for OYO! Louisa is currently in the north with our project 'in and out'. She will then spend three weeks in the South with our project 'growing strong in the Karas region' before to join the dance troupe internship summer program. Prior to her trip, Louisa organised a big party and online donations for OYO. We are most grateful for her hard work and wonderful contribution.

We are extremely proud to announce that ‘Salute received a nomination at the 6th annual Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). The announcement for the 2018 edition was made on Saturday by Nigerian comedian, Bovi, and Ghanaian actor, Joselyn Dumas, on Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv respectively. ‘Salute’ has been selected under the category Best Movie Southern Africa alongside ‘Descent’ by Awal Abdulfatai, ‘The Road to Sunrise’ by Shemu Joyah, ‘Jomako Black Democracy’ by Abraham Kabwe and ‘Nyasaland’ by Joyce Mhango Chavula. This year’s nominees list is a very competitive one. The award has been scheduled for September 1, 2018

OYO hosted an event at the Goethe Institute with the Embassy of Finland on 19, June 2018. We presented our San Matter program. In attendance was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture Madam Sanet Steenkamp, who gave the keynote speech. The OYO dance troupe performed two pieces: 'Maria' and, for the first time to the public, 'I am hungry'. Special thanks to to the Embassy of Finland, in Windhoek and H.E. Pirkko-Liisa Kyostila, Ambassador, Embassy of Finland for unwavering support.

Great pics from Terrence taken during our performance at the Queen's Birthday party last week. With OYO dancers Kassi, Butterfly, Joe, Mary Jane and Osyrin and OYO trainees Jeffrey, Cyan and Pana. Thanks to all involved and thanks to the British High Commission for the invitation.

The Drimiopsis San youth group has started its tour! This is exciting! Great participation from audiences. The show has mainly songs and dancers, with two narrators ensuring the storyline is clear. Stay tuned for more information and, if you are in the Omaheke region, make sure not to miss the show! San Matter is a project funded by the Embassy of Finland.

The Ohangwena San youth group with their beloved trainer Nyandee. It is a fantastic group full of energy with a great performance. Well done to the group! San Matter is a project funded by the Embassy of Finland.

Exciting news: our DVD 'Salute' has been selected at the AIDS 2018 conference in Amsterdam in July. The conference is one of the largest gathering of professionals involved in issues around HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend. Competition was hard and it is a great honour for OYO to be present, under the form of this DVD, during the conference. Congratulations to all involved!

Maitisong festival is an annual event that started in 1987 and has become the biggest arts festival in Gaborone, Botswana with international and local artists bringing theatre, dance, poetry and comedy to fee-paying audiences in several festival venues around Gaborone. Additionally it brings non-stop music shows to thousands of revelers in under-privileged areas free of charge. This year the festival runs from 13 to 22 April. The OYO dance troupe has been selected to perform a triple bill at the festival. Dancers will perform 'Maria', 'the Phantom of Namibia' and 'Thiasus' in Gaborone on Friday 20 April and again Saturday 21 April. 'It is a great honour for the dance troupe', says Talavera, director and choreographer. 'We use dance to create social awareness. We are well known for the social work we do. But we also work hard as dancers and performers. It is important for the troupe to feature...

I, Tina a journalist from The Patriot newspaper would like to ask a few questions with regards to the San Matter Project (San Girls Camp). Tina: Since the establishment of the San Matter Project how many San girls has it managed to help in terms of reducing the school dropout rate? The first phase of the San Matter project, funded by the Embassy of Finland, took place in 2016/ early 2017. This phase helped us understand the situation in two regions of Namibia (Ohangwena and Omaheke) and prepare a series of targeted interventions. They form the core of the second phase, also funded by the Embassy of Finland. Most activities will take place in 2018 – it is therefore too early to answer this question accurately. However thanks to the Canada Funds for Local Initiative (CFLI) we could expand one activity, our San Girls’ Camps, to the Otjozondjupa region. Out...

The Ombetja Yehinga Organisation Trust is proud to premiere ‘Salute’ tonight at the Warehouse Theatre. The Ombetja Yehinga Organisation Trust, OYO, for the past 18 months, did a lot of work in correctional facilities, organizing art workshops with inmates and motivating inmates to go for an HIV test. OYO repeatedly visited facilities. Step by step, inmates started to trust OYO’s workshop leaders and open up, sharing their stories. This was made possible thanks to support from the German Embassy, OSISA and from the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria. Based on those testimonies, OYO then had a writing workshop with inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility. We didn’t write per se, but role played situations. Inmates used their own language, their own experience. This script is, in many ways, written by inmates themselves. We wanted to keep it as real as possible. Carlito (Adriano Visagie, winner best male...

The 10-member dance troupe of the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) on Thursday 24 August 2017 premiered ‘Thiasus’ with international guests from the UK (Ellie Hick), USA (Alexa Moore), Netherlands (Eva Lobker), Norway (Andrine Faleide) and Germany (Milena Nowak) at the Goethe-Institut Namibia. Recognised around the world, OYO uses an art form not so common on the local scene to inform, educate and raise awareness of Namibia’s social problems when communicating to a diverse audience at once. “OYO uses physical theatre, which is the telling of a story through movement and without words. Contemporary dance is often perceived as abstract. Physical theatre is not abstract. It really builds from story telling,” said Founder and Director of OYO, Philippe Talavera. Every year OYO is privileged, over the northern hemisphere summer holiday, to welcome young dancers to work with its troupe. It has become a custom to every August present the work Namibian...

Mission

The organisation aims at using the arts - both visual and performing – to create awareness and mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other social problems such as domestic violence, rape, and the abuse of alcohol and other drugs amongst the youth of Namibia.

Vision

OYO’s vision is to develop a society in which there is broad access to information and the arts. By developing their creative skills, young people empower themselves to make informed choices, and thus become more prosperous, increase their life expectancy, and improve the quality of their live